The Toronto Eaton Centre, one of the busiest spots in Toronto’s downtown core, is back in the headlines with an update to enhance the mall’s role as a lively and vibrant destination. In collaboration with restaurateurs Oliver and Bonicini Hospitality, Cadillac Fairview’s latest update of the center will see the development of a new boutique dining experience called “Queen’s Cross” to be added to the existing food hall.
Queen’s Cross will bring 15 new food stalls to the Toronto Eaton Centre, image courtesy of Cadillac Fairview
Scheduled to open in Fall 2023, Queen’s Cross is considering converting 19,000 sq ft of enclosed food court at the south end of the mall to create a renewed 15-stall dining area with seating for 300 guests. The project has a distinct design vision, from full-service creative studio Solid Design Creative, which seeks to bring vibrancy to an industrial-style space with added elements such as greenery and neon signs.
“As a landmark in the city, we are constantly evolving our retail and dining mix to meet the needs of our visitors and we are delighted to be working with the visionaries at O&B to bring Queen’s Cross to the CF Toronto Eaton Centre,” said Sheila Jennings, managing director of Cadillac Fairview. “The addition of Queen’s Cross not only adds to, but greatly expands, the dining options at the north and south ends of the center and we are excited to offer our guests this upscale and accessible food hall experience.”
The food hall features an industrial design with greenery and neon signs to add life, image courtesy of Cadillac Fairview
In relation to changes to the existing Dining Hall to bring Queen’s Cross to life, revisions to the space are required to improve mobility and accessibility. Three new stairways are proposed to provide new access to Level 1 of the mall from the South Court area on the ground floor, while elevator improvements, including expansion of the existing cabins, allow for more convenient access for families with strollers.
Restaurant offerings will include quick service brands and O&B restaurant offshoots, image courtesy of Cadillac Fairview
Dining offerings at Queen’s Cross are curated to celebrate the diversity of Toronto’s multicultural dining scene. The global selection includes a mix of quick service brands and offshoots of existing O&B restaurants, including Maison Selby and nearby Leña, with concepts such as:
- The little cucumber
- Captain Neon Sushi + bowls
- curiosity
- Gil’s Fish & Chipperie
- Red sauce
- Chic burger
- Lala’s canteen
- Subterranean Sandwich
- Happy tangle
- Beauty fried chicken
- Cross Bar – Coffee and lounge
While shopping centers across GTA are facing difficult times, the Eaton Center is striving to remain relevant as forces such as changing shopping habits and increased housing demands put the large spaces that represent more suburban shopping centers in the redevelopment spotlight. In an already highly developed urban setting and with the mall’s $77 million Galleria skylight upgrade still ongoing, Queen’s Cross represents another aggressive push in the development of this landmark mall.
UrbanToronto will continue to monitor the progress of this development, but in the meantime you can learn more from our database file linked below. If you wish, you can join the discussion in the dedicated project forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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